In Harper’s Bazaar, Cyrus defends the VF shoot, where she appeared loosely wrapped in a bed sheet. “Here, my parents are thinking they’re seeing a beautiful photograph by a major photographer, and the people of America want to see something dirty in that? It doesn’t make sense to us because (my family) doesn’t look for negativity. But people don't want to say, ‘What a great performance’ or ‘What a great shot.’ No one wants to look at something like that and see the positive because it doesn't sell a magazine.”

Many critics of the shoot (done by Annie Leibovitz) said that Cyrus wasn’t behaving as a role model should. On the subject of whether she is a role model, Cyrus tells the magazine there’s a difference between that and parenting.

Celebrity sightings Anna Kendrick of “Up in the Air” and more stars are honored in Palm Springs, Chris Pine takes cover at the Lakers game and more. more photos “My job is to be a role model, and that’s what I want to do, but my job isn’t to be a parent. My job isn’t to tell your kids how to act or how not to act, because I’m still figuring that out for myself. So to take that away from me is a bit selfish. Your kids are going to make mistakes whether I do or not. That's just life,” she said.